When you think slaw, you might think cabbage, or maybe you've even gone so far as to try slaws made from broccoli or carrots. But there's a big wide world of slaw possibilities out there.

Slaws are essentially simple things: Take a main ingredient cut into shreds, dress it lightly with something tangy, and finish it with the little touches that add color and crunch.

Start building your slaw by looking for a crisp central player -- a slaw is defined by its ``crunch'' factor. Squash, root vegetables, even fruit are possibilities. Now cut them into shreds with a mandoline or box grater.

Now dress the slaw, but keep it light with a vinegar- or citrus-based dressing, or even yogurt -- the bright tang will complement the slaw's components.

When you dress can matter almost as much as what you dress with. Many slaws can be made a few hours, up to a day, in advance, giving the flavors time to develop. Some slaws actually benefit from a little advance preparation; this gives the vegetables time to slightly ``pickle'' and allows the flavors to develop more fully -- try this with tougher vegetables and roots.

Other slaws work best assembled just before serving: If you're using fruit, you can shred it a few hours in advance, but you should dress it at the last minute to keep it from going soggy.

So now that you know how slaws are built, what are you going to make?

Zucchini are great cooked, but they can be just as wonderful raw -- light and crisp with delicate flavor. Shred a couple pounds of zucchini. Dress it with a light sherry vinaigrette -- it's a bright vinegar with a lighter flavor that won't overpower the zucchini. Add some diced tomato; not only is the color vivid, but the soft tomato really emphasizes the crispness of the zucchini.

Or try crisp peppers. Use a more assertive dressing for this because bell peppers are so sweet. Earthy cumin and smoky chipotle pepper deepen the flavors. Finish the slaw with bright sweet corn kernels and chopped cilantro for a Southwestern feel.

Because daikon is bland, the choices of dressing and garnish are even more important. Combine the shredded radish with thinly sliced red onion and diced snow peas. Dress it with a rich but tangy sesame oil and rice vinegar dressing. Finish it with a sprinkling of black sesame seeds. Try tossing in some crunchy toasted peanuts, or even spicy wasabi peas.

The right fruit can make a wonderful slaw, too. When they're ripe, cantaloupes are rich and sweet and meltingly soft, but slightly underripe, they're more delicately flavored with firmer flesh -- perfect for slaw.

Base the dressing for this slaw on yogurt, a tangy and more refreshing alternative to mayonnaise, which would only flatten the flavor. Season the dressing with a dash of curry powder. It takes only a very small amount to emphasize the savory aspects of the flavor.

Or leave out the curry powder and throw in some fresh berries to make a colorful sweet slaw that's perfect as a dessert.

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